February 2016 Applications

[Rayan14]

Interesting - we've had no communication other than the test invite letter by mail (our ECAS hasn't even updated to say they sent the letter back in April).

Which is your processing office?

Wayne

I am in Toronto.

 

[Vangel]

Just a quick update for those looking at timelines. My husband and I passed our test in downtown Vancouver on April 14th. We were told by the CIC officer that she had approved us in the system and ECAS showed 'Decision Made' very soon after. We were told 2-4 month timeline to Oath. We are still waiting for Oath Invitation - hopefully will not be too long now.

 

[Vangel]

By the way our Citizenship test is next Tuesday, 7th June.

I will report back here after the test to let you guys know how it went!

Best of luck for Tuesday!

 

[Cappuccino]

Just a quick update for those looking at timelines. My husband and I passed our test in downtown Vancouver on April 14th. We were told by the CIC officer that she had approved us in the system and ECAS showed 'Decision Made' very soon after. We were told 2-4 month timeline to Oath. We are still waiting for Oath Invitation - hopefully will not be too long now.

Thanks for the update! Our ECAS is "stuck" on "We started processing your application.." even though we had our test invites sent in April. So I reckon that ECAS is a separate system and they just pass off updates to it to some clerk or other. This would explain why sometimes ECAS updates almost instantly other times it takes a while. Other times in our case it doesn't update at all!

Hopefully after the test it gets back in sync with "Decision made" ;p

Anyway hope you get your Oath Ceremony invite soon. Our PR cards expire in October so we're hoping that we get the Oath Ceremony before then.

 

[Rayan14]

Thanks for the update! Our ECAS is "stuck" on "We started processing your application.." even though we had our test invites sent in April. So I reckon that ECAS is a separate system and they just pass off updates to it to some clerk or other. This would explain why sometimes ECAS updates almost instantly other times it takes a while. Other times in our case it doesn't update at all!

Hopefully after the test it gets back in sync with "Decision made" ;p

Anyway hope you get your Oath Ceremony invite soon. Our PR cards expire in October so we're hoping that we get the Oath Ceremony before then.

ECAS is useless. Don't rely on it.
Go ahead and apply for a new PR card. It is a pain to wait months to get a new one. Do it now.

 

[Cappuccino]

ECAS is useless. Don't rely on it.
Go ahead and apply for a new PR card. It is a pain to wait months to get a new one. Do it now.

I am inclined not to apply for a new PR card, unless I really have to.

Even if it expires in October, I can still legally reside in Canada as long as I meet the eligibility for PR renewal, even if I do not apply for a new card. Your PR renews as long as you are eligible, you don't HAVE to apply for a new card.

The only issue is that I can't travel outside of Canada and re-enter to work without a PR card (even though I do not see why it is necessary since the border official can check their system to see the person's status).

As long as I have my Oath ceremony date before October it will be unlikely I will renew my PR card.

 

[ajithpl]

The current processing time for PR card renewal is just over 2 months. I have my citizenship exam slotted for June 21 and the PR card expires in Dec 2016. If I dont get a DM and Oath before November, will renew the PR. After all, it is only $50.

 

[Rayan14]

My test went well. I got 20 out of 20. Had a 20 min interview with a CIC official. Approved my application on the spot (stamped it in front of me) and told me to wait for the oath invite within the next 4-6 weeks.

Now I wonder whether I will get a CIT0520 or finger print requests so the CIC can drag this process for a few more months or even a year. Any ways, just thought I'd share my experience. I am skeptical.

ciao...

 

[Cappuccino]

Hi all,

I also took my test yesterday - my wife and I both scored 20/20. Obviously because of the non-disclosure thing I can't divulge anything about the questions or the process, BUT I can say it was much easier than I thought it was going to be.

I knew pretty much every date, name and fact in Discover Canada and I could have comfortably passed with a lot less studying, but better safe than sorry I guess

The CIC interview took only about 10 minutes, and my wife's was even quicker (because she went after me and we are being processed together). The guy told me 2 to 3 months but he told my wife "more likely a month or less". Would be nice if we could squeeze in for the Canada Day ceremonies on 1st July but no holding my breath.

Hoping at least before October when our PR cards expire.

 

[Cappuccino]

The current processing time for PR card renewal is just over 2 months. I have my citizenship exam slotted for June 21 and the PR card expires in Dec 2016. If I dont get a DM and Oath before November, will renew the PR. After all, it is only $50.

We are also Surrey. As I said we took the test yesterday - the guy told my wife "1 month or less" not sure if he was talking about the actual ceremony or our being informed of the date.

He told me 2 to 3 months at the most so I think if your test is June then probably September is the latest your Oath Ceremony is likely to be.

Our ECAS process is still stuck on "We started processing your application..." so I am not optimistic we will even see a "Decision Made" on there before we get our oath letter.

Wayne

 

[ajithpl]

We are also Surrey. As I said we took the test yesterday - the guy told my wife "1 month or less" not sure if he was talking about the actual ceremony or our being informed of the date.

He told me 2 to 3 months at the most so I think if your test is June then probably September is the latest your Oath Ceremony is likely to be.

Our ECAS process is still stuck on "We started processing your application..." so I am not optimistic we will even see a "Decision Made" on there before we get our oath letter.

Wayne

Congrats Cappuccino. I have my test along with my 14.5 year old daughter. Will both of us be interviewed together - any idea?

 

[Cappuccino]

Congrats Cappuccino. I have my test along with my 14.5 year old daughter. Will both of us be interviewed together - any idea?

I am not entirely sure. Generally I believe if you child is over 14 she takes the test independently of you, so I imagine she will be interviewed separately, but I can't confirm for sure.

Myself and my wife were interviewed separately.

 

[benjie]

congrats ryan and cappuccino.. how did you prepare for the exam? Did you guys try any website except from the discover book?

 

[Cappuccino]

congrats ryan and cappuccino.. how did you prepare for the exam? Did you guys try any website except from the discover book?

Hi - I studied from the book. I actually set myself questions based on pretty much everything in the book. I also did all the practice questions from the following resources,

Run by Richmond Library
http://www.yourlibrary.ca/citizenship/
http://citizenshipcounts.ca/quiz

I think these are both the same pool of questions BUT the first link allows you to take "all" the questions, over 150, at once.

Also another practice site called v-soul
http://www.v-soul.com/onlinetest/


To be honest if you've read Discover Canada at least twice and then can get all the questions right in the above practice tests, you will probably pass. I massively overstudied I felt and the test felt extremely easy when I took it.

Best of luck!

 

[benjie]

Hi - I studied from the book. I actually set myself questions based on pretty much everything in the book. I also did all the practice questions from the following resources,

Run by Richmond Library
http://www.yourlibrary.ca/citizenship/
http://citizenshipcounts.ca/quiz

I think these are both the same pool of questions BUT the first link allows you to take "all" the questions, over 150, at once.

Also another practice site called v-soul
http://www.v-soul.com/onlinetest/


To be honest if you've read Discover Canada at least twice and then can get all the questions right in the above practice tests, you will probably pass. I massively overstudied I felt and the test felt extremely easy when I took it.

Best of luck!

Is it the website practice questions pretty much same in the the cit exam? Thank you